As the concluding book of the Twilight saga begins, readers find a happy Bella Swan getting ready to marry the love of her life, vampire Edward Cullen. Soon she will become a vampire, too, but first Bella wants to experience sexual love with Edward. It's a honeymoon night like no other, and it leads to a momentous event that becomes the catalyst for the rest of the story. It's odd to think of a 700-plus page book moving briskly, but except for some character-laden drag toward the end, that happens here, thanks to Meyer's fevered determination to tie up loose ends. Most pressing, of course, is the need to resolve the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and the werewolf Jacob. This is accomplished in a way that is consistent with what's happened previously, though some will find what takes place to be distasteful. Other plot points are checked off as well. For instance, Charlie is kept in the loop about his daughter's situation as long as he adheres to a don't ask don't tell policy, and questions surrounding the wolf pack are answered, if rather surprisingly. Also problematic is the introduction of a major new character (to reveal who it is would be a spoiler). Everyone in the book finds her lovable, but many readers may have the opposite view. The most dismaying new story element, however, is the way domesticity replaces the heightened emotionality of Bella and Edward's love, even though there's now sex and plenty of it. (While the sex scenes aren't graphic, a birth scene is quite unsettling, and both may not be suitable for preteens.) For those who find it hard to say farewell to Bella and company, take heart: it may not be good-bye. Astute readers will see the potential for a series spin-off, complete with another love triangle, on the horizon.

In this series closer, Bella and her vampire paramour, Edward, find their honeymoon cut short by a supernatural pregnancy that necessitates Bella's transition to undead life (accomplished with too much ease after the three previous books' buildup). Though romance fans may be disappointed by the lack of angst in Bella and Edward's now-stable relationship, Meyer spices the plot with genuine surprises.

It ought to seem redundant to dismiss the fourth and final Twilight novel as escapist fantasy-but how else could anyone look at a romance about an ordinary, even clumsy teenager torn between a vampire and a werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their happiness for hers? Flaws and all, however, Meyer's first three novels touched on something powerful in their weird refraction of our culture's paradoxical messages about sex and sexuality. The conclusion is much thinner, despite its interminable length. Everygirl Bella achieves her wishes quickly (marriage and sex, in that order, are two, and becoming an immortal is another), and once she becomes a vampire it's almost impossible to identify with her. But that's not the main problem. Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily-in other words, grandeur is out. This isn't about happy endings; it's about gratification. A sign of the times? Ages 12-up.

Gr 9 Up-Meyer closes her epic love story of a human, a vampire, and a werewolf in this, the final installment of the saga. The story opens with Bella and Edward's wedding, and relations between Jacob and Bella remain uneasy. On honeymoon and unshackled from any further concerns about premarital sex, Edward fulfills his promise to consummate their marriage before he changes Bella into a vampire. An unexpected conception throws their idyllic world back into chaos as factions (both wolf and vampire) battle over whether or not to destroy the potential monster that is killing Bella from within. The captivating angst, passions, and problems manage to satisfyingly fill pages where surprisingly little action takes place, even after the powerful child's birth brings the Cullen family under the scrutiny of the Volturi. The international cadre of vampires who come to the Cullens' aid are fascinating, but distract from the development of prime characters at a pivotal moment. The novel begins and ends with Bella's voice, while Jacob narrates the middle third of the tale, much like the final pages of Eclipse (Little, Brown 2007). While darker and more mature than the previous titles, Meyer's twists and turns are not out of character. Fans may distress as the happy ending for everyone, including a girl for Jacob, lessens the importance and pain of tough decisions and difficult self-sacrifices that caused great grief in previous books, but they will flock to it and enjoy it nonetheless. Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library

Perpetually clumsy Bella is about to marry the very sexy and graceful vampire Edward Cullen. In exchange for Bella's hand in marriage, Edward agrees to turn her into a vampire shortly after the ceremony. Bella's shape-shifter, more-than-best friend, Jacob, is none too happy about her impending transformation, not only because she will become a nosferatu but also because it will violate the tenuous treaty between the vampires and werewolves of Forks. When her honeymoon takes a surprising turn, Bella decides to remain human a bit longer. Her decision threatens not only her life but also the lives of her new family and friends. Since Twilight's thrilling debut (Little, Brown, 2005/VOYA October 2005), readers have been waiting to find out how this addicting supernatural love triangle will play out. The series finale offers closure but certainly not satisfaction. It contains the elements that made Meyer's first two novels intoxicating reads but wraps them in an overly long and noxiously sappy package. Meyer writes pervasive angst like few other authors can so fans may rejoice in that aspect. She sacrifices the opening novel's brisk pacing for tedious inner monologues. The single mildly comic, and thereby least cloying portion, portrays Jacob's point of view. Alas, it is also the shortest section of the book. By the time readers arrive at the ridiculous conclusion, they will likely have thrown the entire novel across the room several times. Team Edward and Team Jacob will have fun race-reading and then commiserating over the less-than-stellar conclusion.-Angelica Delgado.